Amon took out two papers and handed them out to a gruff looking guard in front.
"Your slave?" the man asked as he glanced at Nyx, his eyes moving to her catlike ears before put his attention back on the documents. A minute later, he nodded and handed the papers back, "Two scavengers and one slave. You can go in."
The tone of superiority wasn't hard to sense but the trio didn't make a scene and silently walked past the guards. It was a checking station, a place where people had to register themselves before getting into the green zones.
As for the reason, people assumed that it was for safety but Amon knew otherwise.
'Surveillance.' he chuckled inwardly as he walked in. He didn't care if people found out that he had come in. After all, he didn't have any enemies at the moment, atleast not ones who were aware of him.
He silently climbed up the stairs, moved along the corridors and finally walked out of the checking station. There weren't anymore broken buildings like the sight he was used to.
Ten to fifteen story buildings were everywhere except for shops along the roads but most of them were connected to apartment buildings. The roads were empty but made of concrete.
'Ah… reminds me of home…' Amon mused as nostalgia hit him. Occasionally, he saw a bike or two on the roads but it wasn't frequent.
'Technology seems to have gone down… hmm, they look like 100 to 200cc bikes. Well, at least bikes exist so I shouldn't complain.'
As the trio continued to walk, the tall buildings became scarce while single and double floored houses became common. Unlike the previous area, this place had more people.
Families with more than three kids were a common sight until they moved to the slums. This place was even more bustling and the people seemed carefree as they walked around doing whatever they wanted.
Some kids spun a thin rope around a wooden top that had a metal nail attached to the bottom and launched it on the ground, making them spin. Some used sticks to hit empty tires, making them roll while they ran with them while others used charcoal to draw on the ground.
It was a familiar sight, atleast in his memories.
'Should be somewhere over here…' he thought as he continued to walk, taking turns once in a while as the roads thinned and widened. Some had way too many pot holes while some were smoother. Yet, none of them were properly built. All of them were mere dirt roads.
Soon, the trio saw a young man in tears as he hugged another crying girl who was slightly shorter than him.
"That's your brother?" Mikayla whisper beside him as she looked at the shorter version of Amon. He had hollowed cheeks, a sharp jawline and when she looked further, she noticed that his lips were cracked.
Even his hair was messy and dirty. For a moment, Nyx wondered if her life outside the green zone was better than this. She could eat atleast one meal a day even if hunts failed.
"Aron." Amon called out as he walked towards his brother, "And Letty…"
The two of them turned around and were surprised for just a moment before they began crying again. This time, much more louder and exaggerated.
"Aaaamooooon!" Aron drawled as he hugged his brother. Letty did the same but she didn't say much.
"I know I'm late but your school shouldn't be asking for fees so early right?" he asked as he frowned slightly.
He was the one responsible for paying their fees and this was also the reason why Amon had tossed away a bright future as a scholar and ran around in a Yellow zone, rising his life.
'There's also the money needed to free Amon's mother…' Amon thought as he waited for the two teenagers to calm down. He didn't have any sort of deep connection with the two of them or his mother.
They were just memories in his head, he didn't really experience the things Amon had experienced. It was more like recalling a movie instead of being a character in it.
"Letty's father got captured by the Gobara Gang. He took a loan to gamble and now… they're coming for Letty! I don't want them to take her brother, I love her! Please help us… please…"
Amon let out a soft sigh and nodded, "Let's talk about it inside so let's go home first."
Letty looked up at him and sobbed, "Th- they took away our house…"
Both of their families lived in the same hut so having it taken away was the same as both families going homeless.
"When did this happen?" Mikayla said as she clenched her fists.
"Today… right after darkness."
Amon clapped his hands, "Alright! All of you calm down. We'll go rent a different house tomorrow but for now, let's stay at a hotel." he said before turning around and walking away.
"Gobara gang… you know anything about it?" he asked Mikayla who had already taken his left side, holding his hand.
The girl shook her head while Nyx grabbed his arm and pulled him closer, "I know about them."
'These two have already started their games… eh, best option is to act like I didn't notice a thing. Though… ' he mused as he took in the heavenly feeling of having his arm buried in her bosom, 'I love tiddies…'
Then he glanced at Mikayla before nodding inwardly, 'Tiddies of all sizes, yes.'
"What do you know?" he asked as he ignored his brother and Letty who were right behind him.
"It's one of the gangs under the Iron Knights guild." she said as her expression turned slightly gloomy, "That guild killed two of my brothers and a sister. They still have one of my brother and a sister as slaves. Freeing them… is almost impossible. All I can do is pay them the fee to stop them from touching my siblings."
Amon thought for a while and nodded. He had no plans on fighting the guild when he was just a D rank.
"Some day, we should be able to save them." he said as he sighed inwardly, 'If only I could use my system to help Nyx and Mikey get stronger… '
[Hidden quest completed!]
[Hidden Quest: Strong desire to share what's yours with your loved ones.]
[Rewards: Additional points towards current quest, Super Serums unlocked.]
'Hm… open shop.'